Events

Reboot Britain

Reboot's two year programme was launched in July 2009 to look at the challenges we face as a country and the new possibilities that a networked, digital world offers to overcome them.

Now entering the second year of the programme the activities aim to test the potential that web 2.0 and digital technology have for transforming essential, but often challenging, public services.

These public services are also high priority areas for commissioners and include; families in crisis, social care, youth offending, NEETs - Children not in education, employment or training, and safeguarding children.

In this programme we are testing the idea that web 2.0 and digital technologies are able to deliver more for less in four key ways;

1. Developing a better understanding of users' needs, reducing costs by eliminating those aspects of services which are not serving users, and using technology to serve Exploiting non-state resources, by using available infrastructure, volunteers, advocates, and co-production approaches.

2. Accessing and unlocking 'non-state' resources, by using available infrastructure, working with volunteers, advocates, and community groups.

3. Intervening early and diverting spending, by using technology to surface patterns of demand and create earlier interventions which are more effective in supporting users and will reduce demand on more critical and expensive services.

4. Scaling services using social media and other digital tools to deliver personalised services to large numbers of users.

There are ten projects across a range of public services in this first phase of the programme, all are being tested in a live environment with public service partners.

As well as seeking to understand the potential to deliver cheaper better public services, we're also keen to learn about the conditions and capabilities needed within local authorities and other commissioners to engage with this type of innovation.

Reboot Britain is the technology strand of the Lab's public services work.